PERSONA
Digital safety plan for children being leveraged; zero tolerance towards violence against children need of the hour
NEWSCOPE
RESEARCH
ISSUES
WELL-BEING
TRENDS
THEME
By Dr. VK Singh & Neeraj Bajpai
Fresh from her experience in managing emergency situations, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque smilingly handles tsunami of problems as UNICEF’s Representative in India, lying next to her home Bangladesh.
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he says UNICEF is working closely with the government in developing a comprehensive plan on digital safety for children. Digital literacy is key to ensuring that all boys and all girls stay informed, engaged and safe online. There is a need to galvanize the ‘zero tolerance’ towards violence against children. In a detailed interview to InnoHEALTH magazine, she answered a wide range of questions and elaborated at length, UNICEF’s programmes in India where safety of children is emerging as a major concern. Q. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. What in your views are the steps that can be taken to protect children from violence and to ensure their safety? One important facet of the rights of CRC is to ensure that children grow in a protective and safe environment, free of any kind of violence and abuse. Preventing and responding to sexual violence requires strong collaboration among stakeholders from diverse walks of life. UNICEF is committed to working with the government, civil society organisations, corporates, media and all the other stakeholders to support society and families to ensure that children are safe and free from abuse and exploitation. Guided by the CRC, it is imperative to act now to break the cycle of violence against children and protect survivors of violence. In recent years, India has made significant progress in addressing sexual abuse against children by having enacted legislations and acted on a large number of cases. The public has also become increasingly aware of sexual abuse cases that may have gone unnoticed years ago due to an increase in reporting on the issue. Digital media and immediate reporting have also contributed to this awareness. Still a lot more needs to be done. Building on these positive developments, UNICEF collaborates with partners to enhance awareness of children and parents by focussing on the following stakeholders: 10
Volume 3 | Issue 3 | July-September 2018
• Teachers and school authorities: Sexual violence in schools is a major area of concern. Schools should provide information on safety to children and online safety guidelines can be included in the curriculum. Schools also need to ensure that teachers are aware of the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. • Children: Child-led initiatives empower children to become advocates of change, voice their demands and take leadership in the change itself. Listening to children is also key as they can become vital stakeholders in their own safety. Decisionmakers, including parents and teachers, should listen to children so that their views can be incorporated into policies. • Civil society organisations, including faith-based and community-based organisations, can engage consistently with the communities and share with them important information around the need to protect children from any kind of violence and abuse and co-create local solutions.
